Team Potential Pt. 2

[Date: 2/1]

[Time: 2:42 PM]

[Location: Blue Monarch Academy]

I led Devina and Meadow to the next banner with urgency and haste in my steps. I glanced at the holographic map the hovered in front of me for directions, soon approaching the Sports Area of the academy. Once we made it, we noticed an explosion in the distance and felt the ground lightly shaking.

"My, my~ In Savior's name, can you watch it your hunk of muscle?" A witch said as she hovered in the air, sitting on her broom and sighed softly. She twirled strands of her red hair around her finger, noticing my team approaching. "You've dragged in more company~"

"More..?" A guy in a tattered long coat said, resting the blade of his sword against his shoulder.

The leader of the team looked over at us, a wide smirk stretching across his lips. "Oh man, Kieran and his group are here? This is certainly a treat and look, they already have two banners.."

I came to a halting stop, sliding forward and stared at the leader. I recognized his face, a memory of us as kids playing in my head. "Conrad.."

Meadow stopped beside me and looked at Conrad. "Oh it is Conrad. He's the Hercules Family member..?"

Conrad Hercules, someone I've known since we were kids and my sworn rival. As kids, we used to always have friendly squabbles and growing up our fights only increased in frequency. We share... somewhat of a sibling relationship with each other.

Conrad is also an exceptionally handsome guy, which comes from his Demigod Genes from his ancestors. He had long dark crimson hair, tied into a low ponytail, amber colored eyes, and donned ruby earrings. He wore his family's casual wear as a battle outfit: an orange kimono with red symbols etched across its well crafted fabric, a black sarong wrapped around his waist accompanied by a white rope belt, black pants and boots.

"It's been a few years since I've last seen you, Kieran. I'm still deeply sorry about the loss of your parents. They were great allies to my own," Conrad began, sending me his condolences.

I gave Conrad a smile, nodding my head toward him. "Thank you, Conrad. I do still miss them myself, but now I have a chance to be the person they wanted me to become."

The witch in the air floated down on her broom and smiled. "Aww~ It's nice seeing such camaraderie between two long time friends."

The witch's name was Arabelle Crimson, a member of the group of Magic Users named the Diabolis. They practice magic dealing with Dark Arts, Demonic Spells, and Dark Aspects. She was amongst the strongest of that group, ranking second in strength in her group.

She is an insanely beautiful woman with red hair styled in a singular braid, purple eyes, and dons a sickening sweet smile everywhere she goes. She wore a white dress with golden adornments, a white cloaked with a fur collar and a white witch hat, and black gloves that extended to her arms that had sharp golden tips.

"Oh, Arabelle!~ It's nice to see you," Meadow said, bowing to her out of respect.

Arabelle tilted her hat toward Meadow, giving her a sweet smile. "Likewise, my dear flower~ It's not everyday where we get to spar against each other as Witches."

The third male didn't speak, but his eyes reflected his silent respect for us. His name was Geta Nobu, a man who said he was raised by the Great Wolf, Nobu, which is where he got his name from. He had long silver hair, piercing red eyes, and scars long his body showing his days in the wilderness. He was shirtless, but wore a ivy green tattered, hooded longcoat, dark green pants, brown boots and gloves.

Devina looked at Geta, crossing her arms and giving him a smile. "Well, the cat's got your tongue huh?"

"No, I just don't waste my energy talking. Instead, I let my sword speak for me," Geta said, his tone showing a bit of pride in his abilities.

"Oh? What's this? Geta is actually showing some pride?" Conrad teased and chuckled, turning his gaze back to me. "My team is rearing to begin out combat. So how about it? You're a wielder now, Kieran! Let's have a true fight this time!"

I stared at Conrad then uncrossed my arms, closing my eyes and smiling. "Yeah. And this time..." I began, opening my eyes and getting into my stance. "I will beat you!"

Conrad chuckled as he got into his stance, his eyes flashing with determination. "We'll see about that, Achilles!"

I braced myself as Conrad dashed toward me at high speed. I ducked under his kick, my eyes widening at how much faster his strikes were compared to my reaction time. I barely had time to block his next punch, the force of his strike reverberating through my arm.

[HP: 300/300 -> 289/300]

'Damn… I took that much damage even though I blocked it. He's gotten so much stronger!' I thought, hopping back to create some distance between us.

Conrad chuckled, his confidence evident. Arabelle flew past him on her broom, launching it toward me. I dodged just in time, only to see her beneath me, claws ready for an upper slash. Before her hand reached my chin, vines wrapped around her arm and yanked her back.

Meadow bellowed as she knocked Arabelle away with a powerful spinning kick, sending her flying. Arabelle recovered mid-air, gracefully landing back on her broom as it rushed to her aid.

[Arabelle's HP: 671/671 -> 652/671]

Arabelle rubbed her chin, huffing softly. "Hmph. You surprise me for a Bloomer Witch. You hit pretty hard."

Meadow smiled at the praise, twirling her cane before getting into her stance. "Looks like Kieran isn't the only person you should worry about then~"

Arabelle laughed softly, patting her broom. A red orb of energy formed at the broom's head. "I guess so~ Fire Technique: Novarga!"

A massive blast of fire shot towards Meadow, catching her off guard. I pushed her out of the way and formed a hand gesture, summoning a barrier of shadow energy to block the flames. Meadow regained her balance, smiling gratefully at me.

"Now we're even," I said, returning her smile.

[Bond with Meadow rose to 15%!]

"Thank you, Kieran~" Meadow said, hurrying off to continue her battle against Arabelle.

Conrad chuckled softly, rolling his shoulder as he stared at me. "You've always had a heroic touch to your personality. Must be from your father. He was rather heroic."

I smiled at Conrad's banter, walking forward and getting into my stance again. "Yeah, I did. He is my role model, after all."

"Heh… Come at me with everything you've got!" Conrad bellowed, his aura flaring around his body.

Devina clashed with Geta, each strike of their swords echoing around the battlefield. Devina's attacks were graceful and precise, while Geta's movements were wild yet calculated. They danced around each other, blocking and parrying each other's strikes in a deadly ballet.

Devina thrust her sword forward, but Geta parried it, knocking her off balance. He let out a howl and swiftly landed five slashes on Devina in seconds, sending her stumbling back.

[Devina's HP: 350/350 -> 287/350]

Devina recovered quickly, landing on her feet and dodging Geta's next attack. She countered with a back heel kick, staggering him, then followed up with a powerful blow to his stomach. Geta grunted, holding his stomach as he stumbled backward.

[Geta's HP: 210/210 -> 172/210]

'His HP is rather low for his level…but he has impressive stamina and defense. That skill he used is deadly, striking so quickly,' Devina thought, tightening her grip on her weapon.

Geta got back into his stance, his eyes shining as his aura surrounded his body. His pupils became vertical, indicating he had activated his powers.

Devina heard a faint howl in the distance and smirked beneath her mask. 'He's getting serious now, huh..? I can't fall in battle…We haven't even reached Stein yet, and I want to take him down.'

I dodged Conrad's next strike, then kicked him back to create distance again. I glanced around, seeing Devina and Meadow locked in tough battles. Conrad's team was formidable, as expected. The Hercules Family had an innate ability to boost their allies' abilities and power in battle.

However, I was determined to defeat Conrad, and I was going to do just that!

"Esoteric Earth Technique: Monarch Garden!" I bellowed, a field of beautiful blue and golden flowers blooming around us.

Meadow noticed the flowers and gasped, feeling her powers greatly increase with the environmental advantage. Devina looked around and felt a surge of energy within her, boosting her power.

'Achilles might have been one of the greatest heroes, but he wasn't a team player. I will change that…I will be the team player my allies need,' I thought, my gaze never leaving Conrad's.

'Well now…where did you learn this? What kind of System do you truly have, Kieran? If you think this is enough to win, you still have a long way to go,' Conrad thought, cracking his knuckles with a confident smile.

'This victory is mine!' Conrad and I thought simultaneously.

"Meadow, Devina! Follow my lead! We focus on Conrad!" I called out, getting into my stance with iridescent energy flowing around my body.

"Arabelle, Geta! Front and center!" Conrad commanded, his golden aura surging powerfully.

I dashed toward Conrad, summoning my Crimson and Azure Orbs. Using the Crimson Orb, I blew Conrad back with a repulsive force. Conrad grunted, then noticed roots grapple around his legs, but Arabelle quickly burned the roots with a fire spell.

Meadow swung her cane at Arabelle, but Geta parried her attack and countered swiftly. Devina ran forward, clashing with Geta, then tossed him across her and went for a stomp. Geta quickly recovered and knocked Devina back with a powerful slash.

Devina slid backwards, landing on her feet and sticking her sword into the ground, dark energy flaring around her. Her mask snapped in half as she bellowed, her powers awakening. "Godfrey Technique: Godspeed!"

Geta grunted as Devina dashed toward him at near-invisible speeds. She bellowed, rapidly striking him and then knocking him away with a kick.

[Geta's HP: 172/210 -> 120/210]

Conrad appeared in front of Devina, launching a swift strike, but vines wrapped around her and pulled her out of the way, causing him to miss. He looked back and saw Meadow in her Alraune Form, her petals glowing blue and gold. He dashed toward her with Arabelle behind him.

"Esoteric Gravity Technique: Pulse Cannon!" I bellowed, catching their attention. I clapped my hands together, a gravitational force pulling everything toward me and disrupting the space around us.

[MP: 290/290 -> 230/290]

I unleashed a beam of gravitational energy toward the two, but they evaded it swiftly. I smirked, my eyes emitting iridescent lightning. "Grand World!"

[Grand World Activated!]

[MP: 230/290 -> 180/290]

For 20 seconds, I had access to a plethora of abilities. I gathered energy and focused on Conrad, holding my arms out to form two orbs of iridescent energy.

Conrad felt my overflowing power and chuckled. "Now this is a fight! You are the only one worthy enough to be called my rival!"

"Grand World Technique: Valiant Flash!" I roared, firing a beam of iridescent energy at Conrad.

[MP: 180/290 -> 80/290]

The attack landed, causing a massive explosion and a powerful gust of wind. Everyone shielded themselves from the wind.

[Conrad's HP: 780/800 -> 779/800]

As the smoke cleared, Conrad stood unharmed, a lion symbol glowing in front of him. My eyes widened at the sight of his defensive technique.

"Heh, it's gonna take more than that to take me down. Nemean Lion Guard, a fitting skill for the Hercules Family. This technique reduces my damage received by 99%," Conrad boasted, a confident smirk stretching across his lips.

I grunted softly as I placed my hands on my knees to recover some stamina. 'I… nearly forgot about his Family Skills. His defenses are near impenetrable, and none of us have the right skills to deal with it…'

{Suru: Don't give up yet!}

I opened my eyes, seeing Suru's interface appear in front of me. I stood up straight and looked at her. 'There's nothing I can do about his defenses, though. I even hit him with one of the strongest moves I could think of.'

{Suru: You're thinking of raw power alone. Have you even tried to give yourself an ability? You have access to the ENTIRE Monarch Index with your System! Think like the Blue Braniac!~}

I looked at my system, seeing Suru taking me to the Innate Ability section of the Index. I looked at Suru, noticing her nod her head toward me. 'Am I truly allowed to access this?'

{Suru: Flair gave you the System, so you are allowed access to all abilities and skills depending on your Rank! Grand World allows you to do virtually anything within your Rank. Now use it to its fullest!}

I took a deep breath, then exhaled softly, clearing my mind of any doubts. I looked at the ability I needed and activated Grand World once again. "Ability Activate: Defense Break," I said calmly, bestowing myself the innate ability to bypass all defenses.

[MP: 80/290 -> 30/290]

I hopped up and down, then got into my stance, dark red energy flashing around my arms. I looked at Conrad, planning to end this battle as quickly as I could. I tensed my muscles, then propelled myself toward him, leaving a small crack on the ground.

Conrad smirked and propelled himself toward me as well. He roared as he launched a punch at my face. I bellowed as I launched my attack, my eyes flashing with pure Indomitable Spirit. We struck each other's faces, knocking each other away from the impact of our blows.

[HP: 289/300 -> 229/300]

[Conrad's HP: 779/800 -> 732/800]

Conrad grunted softly as he slid backward, then dashed toward me once more. I dashed toward him, and we threw an attack at the same time again. We clashed fists on the initial strike, then began to rapidly clash in fierce hand-to-hand combat.

Conrad parried my next strike, then landed a powerful blow to my stomach, causing me to groan in pain and cough.

[Critical Hit!]

[HP: 229/300 -> 94/300]

I felt my body growing weak and slouched down a bit. Conrad went for the finishing blow, but was suddenly unable to complete his action as his body froze. Conrad grunted as he tried to move, but couldn't. He looked down and noticed me holding a hand gesture and his shadow pinned by my Shikigami hovering behind me.

'This… is a last-ditch effort at victory… I only have 20 seconds for this. Esoteric Darkness Technique: Shadow Mutilation…' I thought, transferring the Defense Break ability to the Shikigami.

The Shikigami began to rapidly strike Conrad's shadow with powerful blows, slowly wearing down Conrad for 20 seconds straight. Conrad's groans of pain rang out. During the 20 seconds, Arabelle and Geta rushed to his aid, but Meadow and Devina were quick to intercept.

Once the 20 seconds were over, I fell to one knee and entered Stasis Mode, my body feeling heavy and drained. Conrad groaned softly as he fell to one knee as well.

[Conrad's HP: 732/800 -> 191/800]

Conrad chuckled softly and looked up, meeting my gaze. "Heh… you've got some variety to your moveset. More than five skills used… I can see through you, Kieran…"

I stared at Conrad, catching my breath. "What do you mean…?"

"You… have it, don't you…?" he questioned, his tone already knowing.

I stared at Conrad for a moment, realizing what he was talking about. I closed my eyes and chuckled softly. "Yeah…"

Conrad chuckled softly, then stood up, holding his hand out toward me and helping me up. "If that's the case… I want to battle you again in the future when you're both stronger and more in tune with your System. For now, I'll let you win…"

"Wait, what?! You're surrendering?!" Arabelle asked while holding Meadow in a submission hold.

"I'll let him have this win this time. He has so much untapped potential within him that I want to see my rival grow. It's not fair to him if I outright beat him when he's not experienced enough. He's only Level 8," Conrad said.

"What?! He's only Level 8 and this strong?" Arabelle asked in awe, turning her gaze toward me.

Meadow patted the ground rapidly and groaned in pain. "I'm tapping! Can't you see that?!"

Arabelle looked down at Meadow, then released her, chuckling softly. "Sorry~ I was just so caught up in such a revelation…~"

Meadow sighed in relief, rolling onto her back and holding her leg. "Finally…"

I watched as Conrad walked off, leaving his banner for me to take. I took a step forward. "Conrad!"

Conrad stopped walking and turned to look at me. "Hm?"

I smiled at him. "Next time we face off, let's go until one of us drops. Like old times."

Conrad returned my smile, chuckling softly. "Yeah. Then we'll see who's the actual strongest of the Big Three."

I watched as he walked off again, then turned my attention to Devina and Meadow. I hurried over to them and helped them both to their feet. "Let's claim the banner and take a moment to rest…"

Devina nodded in agreement. "Right. We could use the break after that fight…"

We claimed the third banner and went to the courtyard to rest up. We found a table to sit at, all three of us sighing in relief as our bodies were allowed to rest. Meadow laid her head down and summoned a healing barrier around us, the warm glow of the energy soothing our bodies.

[Recovering HP & MP…]

"That was really tough. Can't believe we actually managed to make it out. Geta was no joke…" Devina said as she looked at her broken mask.

"Yeah, and Arabelle really kicked my ass. She's too versatile…" Meadow said, her voice muffled in her arms as she had her head down.

I looked at the two of them and placed my hands on their backs. "You two did amazing out there. You really helped out a lot…"

[Bond with Devina increased to 20%]

[Bond with Meadow increased to 25%]

Meadow sat up with a smile on her face. "What's the next stop?"

I looked at the map, then displayed it on the table for all of us to see. As we scanned the map, we noticed Stein's team holding two banners. "Well… I guess we should say what's the last stop."

"Stein…" Devina said softly, her eyes flashing with determination.

"We only have 15 minutes left. We should hurry," Meadow said, her voice displaying urgency.

I nodded my head, then closed the map. As soon as we were about to get up, a bolt of dark blue energy struck the barrier. We turned to see who fired it at us and noticed Stein in the distance.

"It's time you three gave up your banners. You've only made my job easier by sitting here…" Stein said, his voice cold and commanding.

"Refuse this order… and it's High Noon for all of you~" a woman chuckled behind him, her long hair forming a wolf at her side.

"Or… we could send you all straight to oblivion right now…" a man in black armor said, the eye on his shield glowing brightly. "Either way… we are taking those banners. Like it or not."

{Time Remaining: 00:13:00.43}